Kiselyov told Ukrainska Pravda earlier in the day that he was being deported from Ukraine. He said he had arrived at Kiev’s Borispol airport on Thursday and was not allowed to cross the border. The border guards told Kiselyov that Ukraine’s Security Service had forbidden him to enter Ukraine on September 12 and that he should, therefore, be deported from the country.

Markiyan Lubkovsky, an adviser to the Ukraine Security Service chief, later explained to journalists that they had really checked information on Yevgeny Kiselyov.

“We check any information concerning foreign nationals. We are asking for your understanding because we are living in a very specific time when numerous risks and threats are being posed to the national security,” Lubkovsky added.

The decision to deport Kiselyov was passed in strict compliance with Ukraine’s national laws, Lubkovsky said.